The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-17
FASHIONABLE SOCIETY IN ENeLAN1

ElfzaDeth Cady Stanton the Corrupting
Influences Of the Party Dressing.
Chicago inter Ocean.
The wife Of member of Parliament who
dlned with me short time ago, and who knew
personally all the parties connected With the re-
cent Colin Campbell case, gave me such in
sight into London high life" as to make me lose
all hope OF regeneration of the English upper
classes SO long as mon and women of wealth
have nothing to do but plot and plan society in
trleues. SO long as women all their arts to
stir mans passions. We cannot look for any i'm
provement
The toilets of English women are absolutely
corruptlng to the young men who go into what
Is called the best society Even children are
surprised at the fashionable display of arms and
shoulders. The other evening a lady came to
our ertable in "full dress" Ny little
granddaughter approached her slowly. and, after
deliberately surveying the novel costume, she
remarked with childs simplicity: why. you
are not dressed; sees your skim" The lady.
little embarrassed, laughed and asked: bot
doesn't your mother wear low dresses2" 'Oh
no. answered for the absent mother, in
deprecating tone; land Am afraid that you will
take cold from this exposure" And guest
did keep I'D slight cough all the evening, and
was evidently uncomfortable. But what is dis
comfort sickness or even death to women who
worship at the shrine of fashion!
never see girl with bare shoulders without
recalling Oliver Wendell Holiness description of
Blanche Dreamer In his story of "Elsie Vehnsr"
AT the tea table of Widow Rement Blanche was
seated Ito her great disgust) between the old
village doctor and the old village clergyman;
while, quite aloof from her. attractive young
gentlemen were chatting eaily with other ladies
OF the party. Recovering her spirits by degrees,
she began playing off her surfaces upon the
| two old doctors, first heaving up her white and
glaring right shoulder to the Clergyman, aad then
heaving up her white and glaring left shoulder
| to the physician The clergyman was stunned,
| the physician was amused, bat both were tempt
l m ma was n 0f
the tricks and schemes, the traps and snares
which are set in the present fashionable society
OF the more depraved strata of the English up
per crust"
| While novelists and philosophers make e.reh
| fun of these vulgar exposures of personal
| charms, it is lamentaole that Queen Victoria
herself requires all ladies who presented at
j court to thus practically denude themselves. l
| have always felt indignant and amused ey turns
4 at bearing young American girl-friend narrate
| her experience at one of these royal drawing
rooms In the first place, her outfit cost her
| several hundred dollars and the waste of much
| precious time that n; ght better have been spent
| in the British Museum. She took lessons for "A
| week in order to make the court courtesy with
grace to handle her train with dexterity, and to
| back out from the royal presence without
! stumbling. Finally the long looked for day ar
| rived, and she was driven 30 BuckiB CHAM Pal
| ace. But it a whole honr before her car
| riage reached the door, and she was then chilled
| to the core. Having alghted che. with many
others, moved slowly in line through long halls
and spacious apartments the dlsrobing room,
| where were left all extra wraps. Still another
! hall was traversed. and then there was
| further delay of half an hour. The shout
ders and arms of our young American we're now
as blue indigo and she said she felt like lift
| ing up her voice and shouting: "A shawl a
shawl! my diamonds for shawl" At last the
f=s7-seu procession moved on and arrived at the
| goal. when, 10. the courtesy was made not to
Queen Victoria but to the Princess of Wales.
| One glance, profound obeisance, and the farce
was Our young friend was heartily
| ashamed of herself at having spent her time and
money for such thoroughly unsatisfactory pnr
pose. How much superior the receptions al
| the White House, where snake hands with
| our rulers. exchange a remark wear any costume
| that seemerh to good, and pass out with our
| eyes in the direction in which we moving.
hear much Boosting in this country of the re
markaby pure court maintained by the Queen,
| but do not call any circle pure where
feminine refinement is illustrated in longlines OF
half nude women; and, to nv mind. much of the
rottenness in English society. revealed by the
divorce courts and the newspapers. is due to the
| evil customs prescribed by one of my own sex.
| am sorry to say. and which thus pereolate from
the top down through every stratum of English
| society.